Field Test
by janiejanine
Summary: Nothing boosts efficiency like tactical explosions.


Judith balanced the little sphere in her right hand, trying her best to indicate the important parts with her thumbs. Her efforts were hampered by both the bulky, gently clinking sack in her left hand and her inability to see either of them. "Be _sure_ to press this switch after it's in place," she said. "Do you remember where to put them?"

Sera snorted. "I'm not stupid."

"I know. But do you?" Judith handed her the bag.

"Red on the wall, purple on the ground," Sera replied, with the put-upon air of a student reciting a lesson. "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because you're the only one who can see in the dark. If I do it, I'll trip over something and blow myself up, and then who's going to pay you?"

" _Fine_ ," Sera huffed. She set off and wound her way through the glade, muttering something about balls.

Her footsteps faded. Judith nudged Cassandra and grinned in anticipation. "This is going to be interesting. And with any luck, you won't even have to draw your sword."

"Luck? Are you not sure this will work?" Cassandra asked suspiciously.

"It did in most of the tests."

"Most?"

"Some."

Cassandra sighed. "Wonderful."

"Did it!" Sera's voice pierced the darkness, making the others jump. She snickered. "Keep your knickers on, it's just me. So when's this magicky-whatever supposed to happen?"

"Only the elemental parts are magic. The rest is mechanical," Judith replied, as soon as she could breathe again.

"What?"

"The timing mechanism is-" she began, just as Dorian said "You see, the magic is contained-"

"Stop!" Sera said. Something swished through the air, narrowly missing Judith's nose. "Oh, right, _you_ can't see. I'm waving my arms, to shut you up. Don't start, either of you."

Judith opened her mouth, then closed it again. She and Dorian could go over it later. After all, even if it worked, it could always be improved.

She tapped her fingers nervously on her thigh. The theory was sound, but the true test was in the field. Soon, dawn would be stretching its fingers over the horizon, and it would be too late. She was sure her calculations had been correct, but if they weren't, she was going to look like an idiot.

She was just beginning to get concerned when the wall exploded. The detonations came one after the other, echoing off the rocks. Chunks of wood and stone went flying as fire bloomed orange and set the roof ablaze.

Shouts and crashes sounded from inside the building. The door flew open, and a tightly-packed cluster of people poured out onto the grass.

The escapees made it several paces before the air crackled and they snapped into stillness. The trap sparked bright blue in the dark; like fireworks, but infinitely more satisfying. In the flickering light, a dozen faces were illuminated, frozen in permanent confusion.

She let out the breath she'd been holding. "I told you it would work," she said. In a few moments, the cage would dissipate, and their prisoners could be taken back for interrogation. She wasn't fond of killing people-she still wasn't used to it, and hoped she'd never be, despite the necessity of it-and live sources of information were so much more useful than a bunch of corpses.

Magic and machine seemed to go together well. Even if Varric might be overprotective of Bianca herself, she wondered if he might let her tinker with her ammunition, do something easier and more efficient than runes...maybe they'd try electricity first. If they did that, they'd be _lightning bolts_ , and he'd probably agree to it just for the pun.

She added more projects to her mental list, and didn't realize she was staring into space until Dorian waved a hand in front of her face.

"Is there going to be trouble? You have a glint in your eye," he said.

She spread her hands in an expansive gesture. "I have two words for you: _toad bombs_."

"Would these _release_ toads, or turn the recipient _into_ a toad?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Why not both?" Plans were already unspooling in her mind, she could see how the pieces would fit together, and she rummaged through her pack so she could write them down. She was still scribbling notes as Cassandra herded them away. Once they got back to Skyhold, they were going to have some fun.


End file.
